Germany ready to help Iraq rebuild - von der Leyen

EPA / OLIVIER HOSLET

Germany is committed to helping Iraq rebuild its military, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told the press during her visit to the military base in Taji on Sunday. She warned that while the Islamic State (IS) has been mostly defeated, the organization still has an ideological foothold in Iraq, adding her country will assist its Middle Eastern ally in making sure that the extremists do not regroup. Earlier this week, the German military started a pilot program in the Taji base to train Iraqi troops in logistics, paramedic training and defusing explosive devices.

Von der Leyen met with Irfan al-Hayali, her Iraqi counterpart, to discuss plans for further cooperation between two countries. She noted Bagdad is one of the largest recipients of German foreign assistance, having received €1.4 billion in humanitarian and development aid from her country.